The United States conducted a seventh consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran on Friday, while Tehran launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks on American military facilities in Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain. Iranian state media, citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claimed that two oil tankers exploded after hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz—an assertion US Central Command (CENTCOM) dismissed as false. The IRGC also said it had “stopped” four vessels attempting to transit the waterway, which Iran has effectively closed since the war began on 28 February.

CENTCOM stated the strikes were “designed to continue degrading Iranian military capabilities” and acknowledged targeting military logistics infrastructure, including a surveillance tower at Chabahar port. Iranian authorities, however, accused Washington of striking civilian infrastructure—bridges, a railway station, and an airport—and reported at least 46 killed and over 400 wounded in recent days. In Kuwait, officials confirmed that an Iranian attack damaged a power and water desalination plant, wounded several soldiers, and prompted electricity rationing. Qatar said it intercepted a missile, while Iran’s army and IRGC claimed to have hit ammunition depots, fuel tanks, and a drone storage facility across multiple Gulf states. A senior Iranian military adviser warned that if US strikes persist for “another two or three days,” Tehran would shift to “full-scale offensive operations” and no political border would be safe.

The widening target sets have drawn strategic infrastructure into the conflict. Brent crude oil rose above $86 a barrel, and shipping transits through the Strait of Hormuz fell to a three-week low, according to international tracking data. The UN Secretary-General expressed “deep concern” over attacks on civilian infrastructure. Analysts in Paris noted that while neither side has a strategic interest in continued escalation, both perceive any compromise as capitulation, leaving the conflict locked in a cycle of retaliation.

The war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, prompting Tehran to close the strait and attack American interests across the Gulf. A temporary ceasefire collapsed last week, and diplomatic channels remain frozen. With the US president facing domestic pressure ahead of November elections and Iran issuing an ultimatum, the conflict shows no sign of abating. The next factual steps are the continuation of nightly US strikes and Iran’s threatened shift to a broader offensive within days.